Key point of moxa treatment.

This is the words of Isaburo Fukaya.
He was called a master of moxibustion.
I will try to extract the key points from his book.

"Basic 10 Points for Moxibustion By Isaburo Fukaya"

1: An Acupuncture point is not working itself, but an expert makes it effective.

It’s not that just doing moxibustion at the points textbooks say make effective, but an expert’s sense and experience to take effect are important.


2: Acupuncture and moxibustion points that classic books say are showing only the direction.

Classic books show the points of applying Acupuncture and moxibustion in detail, but it’s not that easy to take that there are the points classic books tell. They only show directions. It is only a guidepoint and is like a reference. The most important thing is to think and see individual differences by referring the classic books.


3: The points move.

The points keep moving and changing.
It’s important to feel by the sense of finger tips and always make treatment at “living points” For that, the guidepoints written at No. 2 above is a good reference.


4: Make effective by using Famous points.

Former people left the points that are effective for a specific desease in classic books. It will be a useful reference.


5: It should make effective by small number of points.

It doesn’t mean it’s good to apply moxibustion on large number of points. Mr.Fukaya says “The deeper I studied, the less the number of points became. The time using small number of points had been much superior to using larger number by effectiveness.”


6: Points that have no reaction have little effect.

Points that have little reactions such as pain, hardness, chill after touching have weak effects. However, it’s possible to make effective by arranging the stimulation level properly, according to individual differences.


7: It has no effect to do moxibustion on the bad points because they are bad.

There is an interesting exquisiteness that using moxibustion points on the lower half of the body is good for diseases on the upper half of the body and so is opposite; using points on the upper half of the body is good for the lower half of the body.
It means that reactions are shown on the far points from illness points, so it’s effective to do moxibustion on the points.


8: Not using only the points that have a reputation from old times, but also developing new effects and improving the remedy effects are important.


9: Size and number of the moxibustion should be matched with patients’ individual body condition.

Even if the book says “The number of using point is ○○”, it is fine to change the number.
People have individual differences. The most important point is that the heat reaches to the deep point. It should be stopped if the heat reaches. If a patient doesn’t feel the heat, it should be kept until the patient feels.

10: Decide the moxibustion points skillfully.

The most important thing is to seek for remedy points that the patients’ body show, rather than theory or past experiences. Frankly speaking, it is necessary to “ask” the body where the remedy points are.

Technical skills or knowledges learned by books doesn’t help you master your skills.
When you use the technical skills and have the experience, it will be useful and become your own “living” skills.



translator, Naoko